The fake Cartier Tank Must with a white dial is a copy of reference WSTA0041. The genuine watch is a steel quartz model: 33.7 mm x 25.5 mm, 6.6 mm thick, 30 m water resistance. Replica makers copy the case shape, the white dial with roman numerals, and the blued steel hands. Most fakes run a generic quartz module, not the Cartier calibre 157. Replica prices sit between $40 and $350.

Genuine Tank Must white dial specs

  • Reference: WSTA0041, large model, steel.
  • Case: 33.7 mm x 25.5 mm, thickness 6.6 mm.
  • Movement: Cartier calibre 157 quartz. Battery life about 8 years.
  • Dial: white, roman numerals, minute track, blued steel sword hands.
  • Crown: steel with a blue synthetic spinel cabochon.
  • Crystal: sapphire.
  • Water resistance: 30 m.
  • Strap: grained calfskin, steel folding buckle. A steel bracelet version exists.
  • SolarBeat variant: reference WSTA0060, photovoltaic movement, strap of plant material.

What replica versions copy

Close replicas match the case profile, lug width of 19 mm, and dial layout. The roman numerals sit in the same positions. The railway minute track prints in the same place. Many fakes use 316L stainless steel, the same alloy as the genuine case. The spinel cabochon color and the crown shape appear on mid and high tier fakes.

Where replica versions differ

  • Dial print: fake Cartier text is thicker or wider. The numeral VII and VIII spacing drifts.
  • Hands: fake blue hands show a paint coat, not a heat-blued steel finish.
  • Cabochon: low tier fakes use glass or plastic, not synthetic spinel.
  • Caseback: engraving depth and font weight are shallow. Reference numbers can be wrong.
  • Movement: all fakes are quartz. No automatic Tank Must exists in the genuine line.
  • Strap: leather on cheap fakes is split grain, not calfskin.
  • Crystal: low tier fakes use mineral glass. Sapphire appears at the $150 tier and up.

Replica price tiers

  1. $40 to $80: mineral glass, glued cabochon, off white dial, thin strap.
  2. $120 to $200: sapphire crystal, better dial print, steel caseback screws.
  3. $250 to $350: closest case shape, correct 19 mm lugs, closer cabochon, better crown.

Checks before buying a fake Tank Must

  1. Measure the case. A correct copy is 33.7 mm x 25.5 mm.
  2. Check lug width. It should be 19 mm.
  3. Look at the crown. The cabochon should sit flush and show a dome.
  4. Read the dial print under a loupe. Roman numerals should have serifs.
  5. Ask the seller for the movement type. A $60 fake cannot hold a Cartier module.

Unknowns

Cartier does not publish production totals for the Tank Must. Replica factory names change and sellers relabel stock, so a specific batch cannot be traced. Steel hardness and crystal grade on any given fake lot are not stated by sellers.